This book was so cute!

Mahalia didn't get to have a Sweet Sixteen but what if she had a coming out party instead? While working to save money for his party, she meets and falls for the new girl, Siobhan.

This book follows Mahalia as she tries to find herself in this wild world we live in and I inhaled the novel! It pulled at the heart strings and was just a great YA novel. There's just something about a queer novel that makes me happy.

I know this isn't the most in-depth review but if you want a great BIPOC queer novel, this one fits the bill 🏳️‍🌈

Thank you to @netgalley for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Every Camryn Garrett title I've read has been 5 stars and this one is no exception. I adored this book - from the coming out party idea, to the music references, to the characters, to the family complications. This is a book that I wish I had in high school, but I'm so happy that today's teens do have it. The story and cover are both beautiful. Please read this if you enjoy YA contemporary. You're missing out if you don't!

I loved this SO much! Such a fun read that really surprised me in how much I adored it. I don't really have any notes because it was so enjoyable. Would definitely read from this author again!

Hi hello yes. Coming in once again to say that if you have a fat character make them fat on the cover. I didn't even know that Mahalia was supposed to be fat until they were dress shopping and one of the sales quote mentioned Lane Bryant. Do you see how thin the character on the cover is? I got very frustrated with this book after that.

I have previously read Camryn Garrett's book full disclosure and I loved it so much and after seeing this cover I was intensely excited for the story but I just didn't love it. I think a lot of this fell down to the fact that I just disliked Siobhan. And it's kind of hard to enjoy a romance when you don't like the love interest. I thought that Siobhan was fairly problematic and I'm just never going to get behind a cheating storyline. I don't care if it's YA or adult romance, cheating is just not okay.

I really loved Mahalia even though she is very different for me and probably would have drove me nuts in high school with her attitude of "what could possibly go wrong" and "I'm only going to work as hard as I need to and not any more than that". I love the idea of a coming out party and finding ways to celebrate queerness. As all queer people know coming out is not something that you do once but an ongoing thing. I was just really excited for this party to celebrate queerness instead of a sweet 16.

I think my favorite character in this is actually Mahalia's best friend. Naomi was very similar to teenage Anna in that she's very level-headed and probably has been described as an old soul. She's also a little bit out of touch with what other people may be going through, especially in terms of money. I liked her and Mahalia's relationship where Mahalia would be a little bit outlandish and Naomi would bring her back down to earth.

As a whole I think that this book will be enjoyable for many people and it wasn't unenjoyable for me, I just didn't like Siobhan. It is one that I will recommend with caveats. I'm also definitely still annoyed that the character on the cover is very thin and the character in the book is supposed to be fat. Can you imagine how absolutely glorious this cover would be with a fat Black girl in a rainbow dress? Oh my god 🙌🏼 unfortunately we will never know 😭.

I loved this book so so so much and it immediately sky rocketed this author to the top of my fav list. The way I felt like me and the main characters could have been friends just solidified how much I enjoyed this. Highly recommend.

Camryn Garrett can't write a bad book. Every one of her books is better than the last. And this COVER.

Do you want queer joy? Do you want Black Girl Magic? Then you have to read Friday I'm in Love. This book follows Mahalia, who missed out on a sweet sixteen but desperately wants a coming out party to make up for it. She lives with her single mother, and works to pay for her phone and car. This book is mainly about her working to save money for her party, and her romance with the new girl, Siobhan. There's also a great friendship plot and a realistic, and often touching mother/daughter relationship. All of this is well-balanced, and creates a story that feels both realistic and completely joyful.

What makes this work so well, in my opinion, is how often we are reminded that Mahalia is carrying so much for a sixteen year old girl. She works, at one point she becomes a caretaker for her mother, and she is a queer, black girl. This is why the moments of her longing, and sometimes even complaining, about her party so nice. She just wants a normal teenage girl moment. She also has these great teenage moments as she develops a romantic connection with Siobhan and during her friendship with her bestie, Naomi. The Naomi moments were some of my favorites, because of how real they felt. What I'm saying is, Camryn Garrett knows how to write teenage girls. She understands their complexities, and she still lets them feel pure, unadulterated joy.

Because of all this, I am excited to recommend it to some of my students that I know will feel seen by this. I don't think I can add it to our collection as it skews towards older teens, but you can bet I will sing its praises to the kids I know need it. This was such a fun ride, and I am so glad it exists.

Mahalia wanted a big Sweet 16 party like her friends, but it wasn’t in the budget. She knows it’s too late for a Sweet 16– but what if she threw herself an epic coming out party? A party to end all parties, a party that celebrates being young and queer and full of joy? She sets out to start saving, and planning, the best, most her bash.

But nothing is ever as easy in real life as it is in your head, and Mahalia quickly encounters road blocks, family issues, money issues, and the most distracting crush of all times.

Camryn Garrett’s Friday I’m in Love tackles real issues teens face while still showing how resilient these teens are and celebrating queer Black joy.

Mahalia is an interesting, well developed character. She’s realistically flawed, and it makes her even more lovable. Her spark and humor can’t be contained. Her family, love interest, and best friend are equally well developed. This fun read tackles big issues while keeping the tone light and the reader invested in Mahalia’s story.

Friday features many complex themes, such as family ties, friendship bonds, and navigating changing family landscapes. Financial disparities between friends and the strain it can cause on the relationship are addressed, encompassing all the awkwardness and frustration that accompanies it. Themes of self-love, celebrating your individuality, and finding joy in the everyday balance out the heavier themes.

Garrett captures the struggle of college and post high school decisions and the unnecessary weight and pressure put on high school students in a realistic way. SAT studying, practice tests, and the stress of viewing results with the pressure of scholarship needs is clearly conveyed.

Friday I’m in Love is available now. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Knopf books for an advanced e-ARC such that I could share my honest opinions.

Nothing about this book felt particularly original. It’s pretty much a standard romance. Everything also wrapped up very quickly in the end. I do think there’s a need for more stories featuring queer Black girls so I’m glad it exists in that regard.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

- this was a cute read! it was sweet to read about a coming out party, and seeing our protagonist work towards what she wanted was nice to see. overall, a sweet book to read if you want some lgbtqia+ happiness.

A sweet YA coming-out story!
🏳️‍🌈
Mahalia has already turned sixteen and didn’t get a Sweet Sixteen party—the kind kids dream about. But what if she could have a Coming Out Party instead? After attending her best friend’s 16th birthday party, Mahalia is inspired to have one of her own. Her family is already having financial hardships so Mahalia decides to save every penny and work super hard to pay for the party herself. Only she ends up throwing school work aside and ends up with plenty of drama, not the least of which is what to do about the new girl Siobhan, whom she desperately likes. Will this party end before it begins?
🎈
I have loved Garrett’s books ever since I read Off the Record and when I saw she had a bisexual contemporary romcom coming out, I was hyped! This is just as cute and sweet as you would imagine. And this cover?! I die. I want Mahalia to get everything she’s ever wanted!

CW: money issues, coming out story, racism, homophobia

This book was cute, but I feel like nothing was really resolved. Mahalia copes with her challenges by avoiding them, yet somehow they are all resolved? She gets so swept up in her new crush and romance that she literally drops everything else - and then gets mad when she's called out for it. The romance was okay, but a bit borderline obsessive on Mahalia's part. Loved the idea of the coming out party.

This book was beautiful! I think many of us wish coming-out had been a party and at a time when many queer childrens books are being censored, this book couldn't be more important. It's beautiful.

Camryn Garrett's Friday I'm in Love is the queer celebration our young selves always deserved. It's like seeing a closeted adolescent fantasy play out in text, and it's incomparably beautiful and fun and incredibly embracing of identity of all shades. I loved Friday I'm in Love, and I know you will, too.

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

My Review:

I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review and place on this blog tour – thanks!

This was my first Camryn Garrett book, and I must say it most certainly will not be my last. Her writing style was so easy to fall into, and the pacing was really well done. The book takes place over a few months, but it never felt like it was dragging. Friday I’m in Love was a story of queer joy, and the spirit of the book is embodied so well in the cover.

Mahalia was a really fun MC, and certainly one I would have loved to read when I was sixteen. You cannot help but love her, even with her teenage naivety and desire to shake her by the shoulders on occasion. She knows who she is and is not afraid to be herself, despite all the negativity in her home life. Her story is realistic, not one with an entirely happy ending, but one that shows that we can be content with what we have. We do not need money and big gestures to make the ones we love happy.

The reason this book doesn’t get the full four stars for me is the weird dynamic we have between Siobhan and Danny, and thus with the way Mahalia sees herself in relation to Siobhan through most of the book. I think it would have been better if Siobhan and Danny hadn’t been dating, and just Danny had a crush on her too. It made Mahalia’s initial pining over Siobhan really awkward for me, and didn’t really work as a *teen drama* for me. Danny may have been an asshole, but it was still weird.

This book does address, in passing, the struggles of Black teenagers within public school settings, especially where there are primarily white teachers. I enjoyed the nuance that Garrett provided through Mahalia’s perspective and her reflections on the racism in “classical” literature. Once again, it made me want to read more Toni Morrison (which is one of my own goals for the year), and maybe I’ll take Mahalia and Naomi’s suggestion of Beloved as the first.

All in all, this was an excellent book. One that I think many will benefit from reading and will look absolutely stunning on bookshelves (I hope finished copies have HCs that are just as gorgeous as this cover is. Pick this one up, I am certain you won’t regret it.

Friday I’m in Love released January 10th, 2023

This book is just precious, adorable, and joyous. While it doesn’t shy away from the volatility and difficulties of teenage life, it has so much happiness. There’s the butterflies of a first crush, but also the complexity of having to help support yourself/your family at a young age. I laughed and cried while reading this book.

Very well written book. I liked the story and I enjoyed where the author took this story. Beautiful cover and well written characters.

Friday I'm in Love follows 16 year old Mahalia as she figures out how she is going to have an alternative Sweet 16 party. Since she cannot afford a party like her friend Naomi, she sets her goal on having a "coming out party". A party to come out to her mom AND because it seems more affordable and like something she can budget for. Plus, she can get a dress and have the music she loves. I loved the title (totally sang the song when I saw this book) and how the older music played into the whole story of Mahalia. I also liked how focused Mahalia initially was when it came to her planning her party. Too bad she got sidetracked by love too easily.

I really wanted to love this book because THAT COVER!!! That and the fact that I really enjoyed Camryn Garrett's debut book, Full Disclosure. This book seemed a bit more amateurish and too cute and cheesy for me. Although I did like she still dealt with some serious topics such as racism, politics, class/poverty, health, family, queerphobia, etc. I know that I can count on this author to mix some deeper topics along with the utter joy she always brings.

Friday I'm in Love was definitely a book for teens and read like it was a book for teens. Mahalia is a little self-centered (but who isn't at 16), but also sees the disparity between the different classes. I liked that her friend Naomi was always there for her and was going to see that Mahalia had the party she deserved. It was hard to root for Mahalia once she fell for Siobhan, then the way she treated family/friends and put some other things in her life to the side all for the sake of love. But their romance? Come on. Super cute! Totally loved them and even the over the top singing during school. :-)

Overall, this was a cute story about love and friendship and being comfortable with who you are and being able to share that part of you with your loved ones. Some parts could've been dealt with more, but still a cute and enjoyable read.

I am in love with FRIDAY I'M IN LOVE by Camryn Garrett.

This is such a fantastic queer coming of age story.

I love Mahalia and Sibohan's characters so much!

Young adult queer angst , fun and heartwarming but also attacking serious issues.

This book is everything you want in a YA coming of age novel.

I’m one of many that I am sure was drawn to this because of the beautiful cover.

As for the writing, it was okay. I feel that this would have felt more realistic if the MC was in 7th/8th grade rather than 16 year olds in HS. With that being said, I did like the initial plot development of planning a coming out party, the cutesy corny crush setup, that was all fine. It was just very fast and a little chaotic to follow, and of course everything tied into a neat little bow at the end.